Friends Stick Together
by montanagirl1138
Summary: All Tommy knew was that his friend was a liar and a killer. He couldn't bring himself to think any differently. But when Oliver comes back hurt in more ways than one, will Tommy be able to see past the green hood? Will Oliver finally let someone in? Is the secret really worth their friendship?
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first fanfic ever so please be nice! Please review and tell me what you think. Any advice form you seasoned writers out there would be greatly appreciated! Also, this isn't beta-ed so let me know if there are any mistakes. BTW- I don't own Arrow but I'm getting a bow for Christmas!**

Tommy Merlyn was not happy. He paced Verdant's dirty floor. Oliver was supposed to meet him an hour ago. As owner of the night club, Oliver Queen had plenty of paperwork to fill out. And, as manager of said nightclub, it was Tommy's job to make sure all the seemingly useless forms were actually completed.

He gave out a huff. Ever since Oliver revealed his true identity, their friendship had slowly begun to crumble. Tommy still couldn't wrap his head around it. Oliver Queen, his friend since childhood, was the vigilante known as the Hood. The man who had put a stop to thugs like Adam Hunt and Frank Bertinelli. The man who saved his father's life. The man who killed….

That phrase echoed in Tommy's mind. Oliver was a killer. Over twenty corpses now resided at the local morgue because of Oliver. Tommy didn't understand. How could Ollie turn into this? What happened to his friend? What could have changed him so much to go from irresponsible but charming playboy into a ruthless killer? What exactly happened on that island? Oliver had claimed he was alone for five years, but Tommy knew that couldn't be true. Someone had to have trained him. Tommy had never seen him in action but he had seen the results of a fight with "the Hood". If there were no dead bodies, the closest hospital received several new patients.

How could Tommy accept this? When he had asked Ollie if he was ever going to share the secret, Oliver had said no. Did he not trust Tommy enough? Was that it? Did his ordeal on the island scrape away whatever sense of family and friends he had? Tommy shook his head. He was sick of using the island as an excuse. Oliver wasn't as broken as everyone thought. The island changed him, yes, but not the way you would expect. Oliver came back with a sense of responsibility, a duty that he never shared with his best friend. Although Tommy was hurt, he had to wonder sometimes. What was this mission? How important could it be if Oliver was willing to kill for it?

Tommy finally pulled himself from his heavy thoughts. He glanced at his watch. Oliver was now officially REALLY late. Tommy angrily shook his head. He has had enough. He stomped towards the door which led to Oliver's secret lair. He knew someone was down there. If Oliver wasn't at the club or at home, he was off doing some vigilante mission. Tommy secretly hoped Felicity was the one there. The IT tech girl was a lot less intimidating that Oliver's bodyguard-slash-driver. He punched in the key code to unlock the door. He made no attempt to quiet his angry stomps down the stairs.

"Okay, where is he?" He said to no one in particular. Right now anyone would do, whether it was Felicity or Diggle. When no one responded, he walked a little further in. Tommy hardly ever came down here. And never when Oliver was there. He hated feeling the tenseness that weighed on his shoulders when he saw the green hood.

"Hello?" Tommy said after a few more moments of silence. He noticed the computers were on and running some sort of search, so he surmised that the spunky IT girl was here. Suddenly, a blonde blur whipped past his field of vision.

"Oh, thank God you're here! I tried to reestablish the com but….." Her voice trailed off as she realized who she was talking to.

"Oh! Uh, hi Tommy." She paused. "What are you doing down here?"

Tommy gave Felicity an exasperated look. "Looking for Oliver. He was supposed to meet me to sign some documents, but clearly he has more important things to do. Again." He shook his head. "You'd think if Oliver actually wanted the nightclub, he's at least take somewhat of an interest in it."

Felicity gave Tommy a sympathetic nod. "I think the club was more of a front for his... activities."

Tommy nodded. "I get that, but if he doesn't do what it takes to keep the club afloat, he won't have a front to cover his night time excursions."

Felicity, knowing that this argument should be between Oliver and Tommy , nodded quickly and tried to change the subject. "Well, Oliver isn't here so….."

Tommy interrupted her. "Who did you think I was?"

"Huh?" Felicity pretended confusion.

Unfortunately, Tommy saw through it. "What's going on?"

She sighed. "I lost contact with Oliver."

Tommy began to feel a bit of unease. He knew that Felicity stayed in contact with Oliver via earpieces.

"I thought you only kept in contact on really important missions?" Tommy remarked.

"Exactly." She replied as she made her way to her computers. She sat down in her chair and took a deep breath. "Oliver was going after some… potentially dangerous smugglers."

"Doesn't Mr. Diggle go with him on…" Tommy raised an eyebrow. "Potentially dangerous missions?"

Felicity nodded. "Normally yes, but Dig came down with the flu last week. Ollie sent him home. I did call Dig once I lost contact with Oliver. He should be here any minute."

As if on cue, the big man came plodding down the stairs.

"You look better." Felicity remarked as Dig entered.

"I feel better too. What have we got." He said, giving Tommy an odd look. The Merlyn kid didn't come down here often.

Felicity went into full "tech mode". "Oliver made it in, but I lost contact with him a little over…" She checked her watch. "Ten minutes ago."

Dig was even more worried now. "That's not good."

"Why?" Tommy asked. "Surely he can take care of himself?" He scoffed.

Dig felt the heat of anger and protectiveness rising in his chest. "Oliver isn't bulletproof, Merlyn." He gruffly said. That seemed to hit a chord with the young man.

Tommy subconsciously gulped. He never thought that Oliver could get himself into a situation that could cost him his life. Oliver always came out on top. That got him to thinking. How many times has Oliver almost died? Tommy shook himself out of those thoughts. There was time to think on that later. Right now, all that mattered was getting Oliver back on the line. Then he would chew out his friend on being a jerk. Tommy watched as Felicity and Dig tried to raise Oliver in the com. He would never understand all the computer "stuff" Felicity could do, so he just watched and waited. He could feel the other's anxiety. They were worried. Which is what worried Tommy. These two knew what Oliver was capable of. They knew he was a proficient fighter. If they thought he was in trouble, then more than likely, Oliver was in trouble.

More minutes passed. Felicity was able to get some static on Oliver's com but he never responded.

"Okay," She began. "I'm officially worried." She turned to Dig.

A fresh sheen of sweat covered his brow but it wasn't from recovering from the flu. He feared his nightmare was coming true. That Oliver was killed out there and he was the only one that could explain his death to the Queen family. How would he do that? Would he reveal Oliver's secret? Could he?

Dig took a deep breath. _Calm down, Diggle. _He told himself. _Take a step back and assess the situation._ His Army training, permanently drilled into his head, was the only thing keeping him from foolishly grabbing his car keys and driving straight to Oliver. If the kid was still alive and kicking, he would need every advantage he could get. And Dig barging into whatever Oliver had gotten himself into was definitely not an advantage.

Felicity was barely holding it in. What if this was it? She had known from the beginning that Oliver was constantly in dangerous situations. She knew that he could come back hurt or worse. She just never thought that "worse" might actually come true. She took a deep breath. She would hope as long as she could.

"Oliver?" She tried to reach him one more time.

Suddenly, a loud clang sounded out behind them. All three jumped. Dig was the first to respond. He instinctively placed a hand on his pistol located at his back. He cautiously edged forward to see who was making their way down the stairs. He felt a presence behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and was surprised to see Tommy right behind him. The kid had a determined look on his face. In that moment, Dig knew why Oliver had told Tommy. Tommy Merlyn was many things, but loyal friend had to be on top of the list.

More bangs resounded up above. "Oliver? That you?" Dig called out.

Something resembling a groan was the response. Tommy, seeming to find the sound familiar, pushed him way around Dig. A glimpse of green confirmed the identity of the visitor. Dig shuffled forward to catch up with Tommy and immediately was on the alert.

Oliver's hood was down. He was slumped on the wall by the stairs as if he didn't quite have enough energy to make it down the short flight of steps.

Tommy, who was closer, realized what happened.

"Oh my god…" He put a hand to his mouth, hoping that maybe it would help keep the bile rising in his throat stay in his throat.

Dig came up behind Tommy. He sucked in a sharp breath at what he saw. Blood covered Oliver's entire left side. Semi-dried blood caked his left temple and the red liquid oozed out of his nose.

Felicity, realizing that the intruder wasn't really an intruder got up from her chair and attempted to peer over the two men's shoulders.

"What's going on? It is Oliver?" A coppery smell filled her nostrils. She hadn't sniffed that particular scent since Oliver showed up in her car with a bullet hole in him.

"Oh, no." A giant ball of dread filled her.

Everything happened in a blur, Dig pulled Oliver's limp body from the floor and placed him on a table. Felicity, seeing massive amounts of blood, immediately grabbed some of Oliver's stored blood.

Tommy couldn't believe his eyes. Oliver was bleeding out right in front of him. Dig caught his wide eyes and knew Tommy was in shock.

"Hey, Tommy!" He yelled to get the kid's attention. "I'm gonna need some help."

If the kid was repulsed by the sight of blood and gore, he sure didn't show it.

Tommy took a breath to steel himself. "Uh, yeah… what do I need to do?"

"We need to get his shirt off."

Tommy and Dig peeled of Oliver's green jacket. He groaned and suddenly jerked. Felicity, trying to get an IV line into him, yelled.

"Whoa, Oliver! It's okay!"

Oliver struggled against the two guys still. Dig pushed against Oliver with both his arms, trying to keep him from thrashing around.

"Oliver!" Tommy yelled at his friend. Oliver, recognizing the voice started to calm down.

"Keep talking to him…" Dig murmured to Tommy. He nodded.

"Hey, Oliver. Stop struggling. Dig is just trying to make sure you're okay." Of course, anyone could see that Oliver was not okay, but Tommy's gentle reassurances began to calm Oliver down. He and Dig relaxed their grip holding Oliver down.

The young vigilante relaxed against the table. Tommy began to pull away but Oliver grabbed his arm and stared pointedly at his friend. He groaned and tried to talk. All that came out was a mangled squawk. He cleared his throat and tried again.

"Sorry."

Then, he passed out.

Tommy wasn't sure what the "sorry" was for. Was it for missing their meeting? Ruining Tommy's night? Or was it for lying to his best friend? His answer would have to wait. Tommy had no idea what to do as Felicity finished inserting the IV in Oliver's arm and Diggle hooked up a heart monitor to his chest. Tommy winced as his friend struggled to draw breath. Time seemed to slow as Tommy watched Oliver's chest rise ever so slowly then fall flat. A loud grating alarm pierced his eardrums.

Oliver's heart had stopped.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for all the reviews and follows! You guys are totally awesome! Warning-Oliver is kinda OOC, but it's mostly because of his injuries. Once again, let me know if there are any mistakes. Btw- I don't own Arrow. (do I have to put that disclaimer on every chapter?)**

The squeal of the heart monitor echoed in three sets of ears. Diggle immediately started chest compressions on his friend.

"Get the defibrillator!" He yelled at Felicity. She ran to the machine and pulled it over to the table where Dig could reach it.

Tommy watched wide-eyed. Oliver's heart had stopped. He still couldn't wrap his head around it. Did that mean he was dead? No, there was no way Oliver could die on him now. He had too many questions. With that thought, Tommy stood by his friend and gripped Oliver's right hand.

"You listen to me, Oliver Queen. There is absolutely no way you can die now. I still haven't told you how much of a jerk you are. So, you can't go now. Not yet. You hear me?" Tommy took a breath. The alarm still squealed. Tommy reluctantly let go of his friend's hand as Diggle placed the paddles on Oliver's bare and bloody chest.

"Clear!" He yelled. Oliver's chest arched off the table. Nothing happened. Diggle shook his head and tried again. Nothing. He glanced at Felicity. She turned up the charge.

"Try again." She urged him.

Once again, Dig shocked Oliver. A slight blip beeped on the monitor. Then another. Then another. Dig let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. He put the paddles back.

"Okay, let's get him stable." He grabbed the medical kit Oliver always kept on hand. "We need to stop the bleeding."

Felicity jumped into action. She had learned a lot since joining "Team Arrow" and stitching up Oliver's wounds was one of them. The blood didn't bother her so much anymore. She wasn't sure that was a good thing or bad thing. But, right now she didn't care. Her friend was badly hurt and he needed healing. She began to collect all the medical supplies they would need as Dig began to clean and place gauze on Oliver's side.

Tommy just stood there. What was he supposed to do? What could he do? He didn't even know if the others wanted his help. Felicity suddenly jerked her head up at Tommy.

"Oliver's bleeding everywhere. Some help would be nice." Her usual cheery tone turned sour.

Tommy shook his head. "I don't know what to do…"

Felicity felt a stab of sympathy at Tommy's pitiful response. Of course he didn't know what to do. He was the son of a millionaire, not a nurse. A memory flashed in Felicity's mind. She remembered how helpless she felt when Dig started working on the bullet hole in Oliver's shoulder.

"Here," She said handing him a bottle of disinfectant. "We need to clean his wounds before we bandage them."

Tommy nodded. He took a place by Oliver's head and began to meticulously clean the gash on Oliver's temple. He was so engrossed on his task that he didn't even notice Felicity and Dig's nervous mumbling.

"What happened?" Felicity worriedly asked Diggle.

"I don't know." Dig shook his head. "But this looks like a stab wound." He said gesturing to Oliver's side. He was finally able to start bandaging the wound. "He should be in a hospital." Dig said, mostly to himself. He had never seen so much blood on his young friend.

Felicity nodded. "I agree, but how are we gonna explain this? Mugging gone wrong? There's no way anyone would believe us."

Dig sighed. Why was his life so complicated? He glanced at the heart monitor. Oliver's heart had regained a somewhat normal rhythm. "He's stable for now. Let's get some blood in him, and go from there." Dig knew he didn't have the skills to fully treat Oliver. The kid would definitely have to be emitted in a hospital. But, maybe, if they could get the bleeding to stop, they could come up with a believable excuse.

By this time, Tommy had finished cleaning the gash. He looked up at Felicity. "What now? Shouldn't he be in a hospital?"

Felicity cast a sideways glance at Diggle. "That's what we're discussing."

"But what about…." Tommy gestured to Oliver's nearby green hood. "We can't tell anyone about him."

Dig arched an eyebrow at that. "No, we can't."

All three were at a loss. Of course Oliver had been hurt before, but there was only one time he really needed a hospital. Dig was able to come up with a good excuse-motorcycle accident. But this? Oliver had been stabbed and hit on the head. He probably had a concussion and his nose, although not bleeding anymore, looked slightly crooked. Anyone could tell Oliver had been in a fight. And a pretty bad one at that. Dig had never been this worried. Even when Oliver was shot, it had been a fairly clean wound. The bleeding wasn't that bad. At least compared to this most recent injury.

Diggle took a breath and kept at it. The wound was not that large. Not many stitches would be needed. Maybe they could keep the kid out of a hospital. He knew what Oliver would say if he were conscious. As Dig bandaging the hole in Oliver's side, he knew it was wishful thinking. Lost in his thoughts, be almost missed noticing that the young man stirring. He immediately stopped what he was doing. "Oliver?" He hoped his friend was waking up. That would be a good sign.

Tommy and Felicity snapped their attention to Oliver. The vigilante continued to stir. He let out a painful groan.

Dig, remembering Oliver's tendency to wake up violently, warned the others. "Don't get too close or touch him."

Tommy, thinking Diggle was being insensitive, glared at him confusedly. Dig caught the look.

"He's pretty intense when he wakes." He explained.

And a second later, he was proved right. Oliver gasped and surged upwards. His eyes were wide as he took in wheezing breaths.

"Oliver." Dig took a step forwards. Oliver noticed and swung his head towards him. Diggle suspicions of a concussion were confirmed as Oliver owlishly blinked his dilated eyes.

"Dig?" Oliver rasped out.

Felicity took this as a cue. She hurried forward to comfort her friend. "Hey, Oliver." She placed a hand on his arm. He started at her touch and turned to face her. He winced as the movement pulled at his newest battle wound.

"What happened?" He asked his friend. He shook his head thinking it might clear the cobwebs. It turned out to be a bad idea. His head hurt.

"We were kinda hoping you could tell us." Felicity replied.

Oliver took a breath and carefully swung his legs over the table. "Um…." He trailed off.

Tommy shared a glanced with Dig. Oliver was really out of it.

"Oliver, you were on some mission." Tommy prompted his friend. "And then you turned up here all bloody and gross."

Oliver did a double take at Tommy. "Tommy? What are you doing down here?"

Watching you give dying your best shot…" Tommy cracked a lopsided smile, trying not to betray his concern. Oliver tried to smile back but it turned into a pinched frown. He couldn't stop the pitiful grunt that escaped his throat.

Felicity came up to him and placed a hand on his arm. "Oliver, you were going after Philip Krane, remember? The owner of Krane Corp.?"

Oliver gave a short nod. "Yeah, I remember. I was at one of his warehouses."

Dig and Felicity both let out a breath. _Good,_ the IT girl thought. _He remembers. Maybe the concussion isn't that bad._

Tommy, out of the loop, asked. "Who's Philip Krane? Some rich guy you intend to destroy?" _Like all the others? _He mentally added.

Dig filled him in. "He's one of the main financers of Starling City's drug smuggling business. We think his money backed most Vertigo's development."

Realization dawned upon Tommy. Vertigo, a deadly drug, had once swept through the city like a plague. Hundreds were affected, including Oliver's little sister, Thea. Because of this, Oliver seemed to have a personal vendetta against the drug.

"So what happened?" He prompted Oliver.

Oliver continued his story. "I took out the few guards, got in, and made sure Krane won't be financing any more drug smuggling."

Tommy's face instinctively screwed up at Oliver's words. His friend noticed.

"I didn't kill him…." Oliver reassured his friend.

Tommy seemed surprised. "Really?" Oliver nodded.

"Even though he was Vertigo's financer?"

Oliver's brow furrowed. He bit his lip.

Tommy sighed. "You were going to kill him, weren't you?"

Oliver hesitated. "Yes." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I was so angry…" He said in a quiet voice.

Felicity was taken aback. She glanced at Dig. He looked surprised too. Oliver was never this open about how he felt. Felicity knew that this conversation should continue, especially with Tommy, but they couldn't ignore Oliver's injuries.

"Hey, guys?" She cleared her throat. "I'd love to hear what secrets we could get out of a concussed Oliver, but we really need to get him to a hospital." That seemed to spur everyone into action. Except Oliver, who scowled at her mention of secrets. Dig started to gather Oliver's street clothes.

"How you wanna explain this?" He asked Oliver, handing him his dress shirt. The vigilante stared at it.

"Well, I can't be wearing a clean shirt…."

"I can take care of that." Felicity volunteered. She grabbed his clothes and set down to work. "I can make your clothes to match your wounds, plus we have plenty of your blood on hand." She said eyeing the soaked table.

Oliver grimaced as he stood up. "As for the excuse…" He trailed off. "I got nothing."

"Really?" Tommy had to stop himself from laughing. "Since when can you not come up with a clever lie?"

Oliver internally winced at the bitterness in Tommy's voice. Felicity came to his rescue.

"Yeah, Oliver is really not good at coming up with on-the-spot excuses." She called from her chair without turning around. "You should have heard some of the ones he told me before he showed up in my car with a bullet in him. I mean, energy drink in a syringe, come on…."

Oliver smirked at Felicity. "Wasn't exactly at my best, you know."

She turned around and rolled her eyes at him. Bringing his newly bloodied and torn clothes, she thrust them in his arms. "Bullet riddled laptop?"

Oliver opened his mouth to reply, but she cut him off. "Military level encrypted flash drive…..need I go on?"

Oliver rolled his eyes as he began to put his street clothes on.

"Wait, what?" Tommy looked sideways a Oliver. "Bullet riddled laptop?"

Dig nodded at Tommy. "Long story."

"I bet. One that you guys will have to tell me one of these days." He replied as the two men assisted Oliver.

"I can put on my clothes by myself, y'know." He complained, beginning to slur his words.

"Oliver, you have a concussion and nearly bled out." Dig scolded. "You shouldn't even be awake right now."

"Ow!" Oliver yelled as the simple act of getting dress tore at his wounds.

"Yeah, Oliver," Tommy joked. "Can't you just pass out and make this easier for all of us?"

Oliver finally managed to smile at his friend. "'M kinda stubborn…"

Tommy laughed, a welcome sound to Oliver's ears. "Amen to that."

Dig and Tommy got Oliver up and Felicity grabbed her car keys. "I'll drive." She offered.

Getting Oliver up the stairs turned out to be and ordeal, as Oliver barely managed to stay upright.

"You really did it this time..." Diggle told his friend as them loaded him into Felicity's car.

"Geez, Ollie," Tommy complained. "Loose a few pounds, will ya?"

"'S'all muscle…." He mumbled and finally gave up his hold on consciousness.

"Finally!" Dig said and climbed into the passenger seat. "Tommy, you sit in the back with Oliver and let me know if his condition changes in any way." He turned to Felicity. "Drive fast."

She nodded, putting the car into drive. "You got it."


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow! I was not expecting this! Look at all the follows and favs! You guys are amazing! Special thanks to Sakura for reviewing twice already! Once again, let me know if there are any mistakes. Thanks so much for the reviews and favorites. **

_The last guard fell with an angry blow to his head. The vigilante frowned as his earpiece cracked and fizzled in his ear. His pulled it out and gave it a sour look before dropping it on the ground and smashing it with his boot. _Stupid guard got lucky_, he thought to himself. He stepped over his fallen prey and nocked another arrow. He rounded the corner and found himself in an office. It seemed empty, but sound of heavy breathing filled the air. The Hood slowly moved around the room following the sound. He peered around a desk and readied himself to face the man whose money helped poison the city. _

"_Philip Krane, you have failed this city!" The line rolled easily off his tongue. He was about to elaborate further but his brain finally caught up with his eyes. In the corner was not Philip Krane, cowering as the vigilante expected. A girl, not much older than six, was kneeling on the floor, clutching a stuffed rabbit. The man the Hood was prepared to end stood protectively in front of her. _

"_Please," He asked. The vigilante was startled by the depth of emotion in the dirt bag's voice._

"_She's just a little kid. Don't make her witness something that will scar her for the rest of her life."_

_At that, the Hood hesitated. Who exactly was this child? Why did Krane care so much about her? _

"_Please." He repeated. "She's my daughter."_

_The vigilante's mind flashed back to his encounter with Moira Queen. She had begged for mercy, but not for herself. For her children. Krane had the same desperation in his voice. And like Moira Queen, he used the Hood's hesitancy to his advantage. _

_He whipped out an unseen knife, and before the vigilante could react, he drove the knife into the Hood's side. The girl screamed. The Hood tried to fight back, but all he got was a punch in the face. He grunted in pain. Krane smirked. _

So that was his plan all along_, the Hood thought. Use the girl as a distraction. He growled. Now he was angry. His mind, focusing on that anger, shifted to 'fight mode'. The brawl lasted several moments. The vigilante managed to free Krane of his weapon, but the crook soon found a replacement. He grabbed a lamp from the desk and swung it, hoping to connect with the green-hooded psycho. Suddenly, the girl once again wailed. Her cry was so heart-wrenching that it caught the vigilante off guard. Krane was able to grab is bow and fling it out of the Hood's grasp._

"_Not so tough now are you?" He taunted as he chucked the bow away._

"_I don't need the bow..." Was the calm reply._

_Ignoring his agonizing pain, the Hood kicked Krane's legs out from under him. This time, the fight only lasted a few seconds as the Hood quickly gained the upper hand against Krane. As the crook lay panting on the floor, the vigilante recovered his bow and pulled and arrow from his quiver._

_Aiming it at Krane's heart, He angrily ground out. "You have destroyed so many lives." He paused. "You will pay with yours."_

_A whimper caused him to wait from releasing the bow string. He glanced at the source of the whimper. The girl bravely stood up and faced the masked intruder. _

"_Please don't kill my Daddy."_

_With that simple request, the vigilante's heart shattered. He stared into the little girl's desperate eyes. She stared right back. In one look, she conveyed an innocence that he could not just ignore. Sighing, he began to release his hold on the bow string. Steeling himself, he took a deep breath and looked back at Krane._

"_If you ever even think about financing any more drug runs, I will be back." He replaced the arrow. "And you won't be so lucky."_

_Krane slowly nodded. As the vigilante turned to leave, Krane's fingers found the lamp that had been lost in battle. Leaping up, he swung it at the green hooded man. The young girl's scream was all the warning the Hood got. He instinctively ducked, but the hard object still managed to collide with his head. He fell to one knee, and as Krane prepared for the killing stroke, his daughter cried out._

"_NO, Daddy!" _

_Krane, like the vigilante, couldn't ignore the little girl's voice. That was all the time the Hood needed. He sprinted as best he could and escaped out the door. With blood freely flowing from his wounds, he thought about his decision. He let a criminal get away. He shook his head, wincing at the sharp pain it brought. He took a shaky breath. He may have let Krane off with a warning, but he saved a girl from the experience of watching her father die. That was something the Hood didn't have. Once again shaking his head and realizing that it was a bad idea, he made his made towards home._

Oliver woke with a start. He took a moment to collect his thoughts. He gazed around and realized he was laying a hospital bed. Memories flooded back. He took a breath. _I hate hospitals, _he thought. _I wonder what excuse they came up with. It better be good. I got myself in a lot of trouble this time._

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice a slim young woman walk in his room.

She smirked at the intense look on his face.

"Hello? Earth to Ollie?" She teased.

Oliver reacted badly to the sudden presence in the room. He nearly jumped off the bed.

"Whoa, Ollie! It's just me!" She put her hands out, palms upward, in an instinctive attempt to calm him.

Oliver realized who it was and immediately relaxed. His let a sigh escape through his nose.

"Thea? What are you doing here?" He quietly asked his little sister.

Thea Queen raised her eyebrows. "Uh, my brother is in a hospital after surviving a brutal mugging. Why wouldn't I be here?" She asked incredulously.

_So they used mugging as the excuse. _He thought. _Wonder how that's holding up. _

"Sorry," He apologized to his sister. "Just didn't realize it was you."

"Who else would it be, Ollie?" She gently prodded, once again trying to elicit any information about his time on the island.

"No one. Just…" He trailed off.

Thea let out a huff. Things would be so much easier if Oliver was just a little more open. He might actually get a sense of closure and so might she.

Silence filled the room. "So what happened?" Oliver asked.

Thea once again raised an eyebrow. "Other than you almost dying?"

"Well, I don't remember much after the mugging…" The ease at which he lied now was disturbing.

Realizing that Oliver would be fine, Thea's demeanor suddenly shifted from worried little sister to annoying little sister. "Fortunately you were close to Verdant. Mr. Diggle found you and brought you back to the club. Tommy happened to be there and they brought you to the hospital."

Oliver nodded. A simple lie. That was the easiest kind. And the fact that he probably had a concussion was a good way to skirt around any questions the police might ask.

"That IT girl also happened to be at the club…" She curled a corner of her mouth in a suggestive smirk. "She seems to be there a lot."

Oliver furrowed his brow. "She's just a friend, Thea." He said.

"Uh-huh, sure…" She grinned disbelievingly.

"I'm serious!" Oliver's denial seemed to amuse Thea even more as she laughed.

Oliver scowled at his sister. "Sure, tease the helpless guy in a hospital bed…"

She lovingly smiled at her big brother. He couldn't help but smile back.

Internally, Thea's heart flipped. She loved seeing that grin on Oliver's face.

It had been so long since she had seen that smile. When he smiled, it reminded her of the times before the island. And for a moment, she could pretend that it never happened and she and Oliver were smiling at each other just for the sake of smiling. After he had returned home, his smiles were rare and they never seemed to reach his ears like they used to. But, slowly, as things settled into a new normal, Ollie found his smile. Thea would do anything to keep her family smiling and happy, but lately things were becoming complicated.

She must have let her countenance betray her deep thoughts because Ollie questioned her.

"Speedy?" He asked, using his nickname for her. "You okay?"

She tiredly chuckled at him. "Y'know, normally the people in the hospital bed aren't the ones asking that question."

"Sometimes the people waiting by the hospital bed need just as much care." He replied with a quiet, concerned voice.

Thea sighed. She understood what he was getting at. "It's just been a tough day. Imagine how it felt to get a call saying your brother is in a hospital after almost dying. Then add a nearly hysterical mother into the mix…." She took a dramatic breath. "Well, it ain't a pretty picture."

Oliver nodded. "How is Mom?"

"Not happy." Thea sounded a bit bitter. A tense silence filled the room.

Oliver finally broke it. "You gonna elaborate on that?"

She rolled her eyes. "She's freaking out. She started going on this rant that the Glades is a horrible place and that you and I have no business being anywhere near it."

Oliver internally winced. With all that he was discovering about the Undertaking, his mother was not too far of base.

Thea continued. "I think she forgot that not only does my boyfriend live there, but it's also where I work. Not to mention your club's location."

"She's just scared, Thea." Oliver tried to think from Moira's standpoint. Even though she was involved in the Undertaking, she was still his mother and he loved her.

"She wasn't the only one…" Thea mumbled. Another silence filled the air but it wasn't as tense as before.

_Ah, progress. _Thea thought.

At that point, Moira Queen showed up and effectively cut any more conversation between the siblings short. After several hugs and many assurances from Oliver that he was okay, the young man was finally left to get some rest. But rest never came. He had too many thoughts. Thoughts about his family, his mission, the man he just let go… The list went on and on. He was so deep in thought that he once again missed the visitor who stood in the doorway to his room. However, this new visitor let him think. Oliver's once irresponsible, care-free attitude had been replaced by a contemplative, brooding one. Everyone closest to him had noticed this and most subconsciously knew not to interrupt.

Tommy watched his friend. Although still angry with him, Tommy loved Oliver like a brother. He would not give up his friend for anything in the world. But, friendships aren't always easy. Tommy thought of it like the ocean. Sometimes everything would be calm and serene, but other times, it was rough and waves of trouble and hurt swelled, threatening to destroy the relationship.

A deep-hearted sigh pierced his thoughts. Oliver had obviously given up on his contemplation, so Tommy walked in the room.

Oliver wasn't caught off guard this time as turned his gaze toward Tommy. They stared at each other for a few moments until Tommy, being the braver one, broke the silence.

"So… how are you feeling?" _Start simple, _he thought.

Oliver shrugged realizing too late that the movement would pull on his new stitches. He sucked in a sharp breath and Tommy waited for his friend's pain to subside.

"Ow." Oliver's simple mumble told Tommy everything he needed to know.

Oliver shifted trying to get comfortable without aggravating his injuries. Tommy took this time to collect his thoughts. He and Oliver needed to talk. Tommy knew this, but there had never been a right time to talk. Now seemed like a good time to start.

"We need to talk." He paused then added. "Everyone is gone; I sent Thea home with your exhausted mother and Diggle and Felicity needed rest." Maybe if Oliver knew his secret was safe he would be more open.

Oliver took a breath and nodded. "What do you want to start with?"

Tommy's raised an eyebrow. Maybe his plan was working.

Oliver saw the movement. "I know you have a lot of questions. And I know you think what I'm doing is wrong…" He trailed off.

Tommy sighed. "Oliver, it's not so much that I think what you're doing is wrong, it's HOW you're doing it. The Hood has done a lot to help the city, but he's done so without thought to the possible consequences."

Oliver stared at his blanket-covered toes. "That's not entirely true." He quietly replied. "I've thought every day about how I'm hurting my family by not being truthful. But I can't protect them or the city if they knew."

"Since when did the Vigilante become more important than your family?"

Oliver's heart nearly broke at Tommy's question. He wanted someone to understand why he was doing what he was doing. Yes, Dig and Felicity were on his side, but they had never known him before the island. They didn't see the immense change that had happened in him. Tommy had noticed the change, but he didn't understand. Oliver began to hope. Tommy knew his secret and Oliver would bet his life that Tommy would never betray him. Maybe there was someone he could talk to. Maybe someone would finally understand. With that, Oliver began to tell his story.

"Tommy, I need you to try to see this from my point of view." Oliver looked at his friend. "Can you do that?"

Tommy nodded. "I can try."

"Good enough." Oliver took a breath. "Then, I'm going to start at the beginning."


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm so sorry this update is late! Between the holidays, work, and my computer deciding not to work, I just haven't been able to work on this much. So, anyhoo... Once again, I don't own Arrow. There might be another chapter or two, but I may not add anymore. I haven't decided yet. :-)**

Oliver took a deep breath and began to tell his story:

"When the ship went down, I wasn't the only survivor. Not at first."

Tommy cocked his head. This was news to him. _Although, _he supposed, _nothing should surprise me now._

Oliver continued. "There were three of us. Me, a crew member, and my dad.

"Your dad?" Tommy was a little surprised. Oliver had seemed so adamant about his father's death.

"He and the crew member made it to a life raft. They pulled me onto it."

"Why did you tell everyone that he went down with the ship?"

Oliver looked pointedly at his friend. "Because of the way he died."

Tommy waited for Oliver to continue, but he now seemed immensely interested at his toes again.

"Oliver?" He prompted. "What happened?"

A few moments of silence passed. Tommy thought it wise to not break it. Oliver finally spoke up.

"On the raft, my dad told me that the Queen family fortune was gained through corruption and greed. He told me that he had made mistakes." Oliver licked his lips. "My father was the very thing I'm fighting today…."

Tommy saw that the irony was not lost on Oliver. "I'm sorry Ollie." Tommy's quiet comforting seemed to goad Oliver to continue.

"There wasn't enough supplies for three people, so my dad told me to survive, then shot the crew member and then himself." A mortified look came across the young man as Oliver paused. He knew Tommy would be shocked, so he gave his friend a few moments to let it sink in.

"He shot himself?" Tommy repeated. Oliver nodded. "And the other guy?" Oliver nodded again. Tommy looked away in disbelief. He couldn't believe it. There was no way Mr. Queen would have shot himself! The man was practically Tommy's surrogate father! He basically lived at the Queen's house for several years after his mother's death and his father's subsequent disappearance. Tommy had grown close to all the Queens. He would never in a million years guess that Robert Queen would commit suicide. He just wasn't that kind of man.

"I don't know what to say." He quietly said. "Why?"

A pained look came over Oliver's face. He glanced away from Tommy to the room's window. He gazed at the night sky for a full minute before Tommy broke the silence.

"Oliver?" He tried to get Ollie's attention. "Why did he do that?" Tommy could understand how traumatized Oliver must have been watching his father murder someone. Then to watch his dad kill himself… Tommy mentally shook his head. It was a miracle that Oliver was actually talking about this.

"I needed to survive, that's why." Oliver finally said. "I needed to correct my father's mistakes."

Tommy wondered why Ollie seemed so adamant. Any mistakes committed were Mr. Queen's fault, right? Even then, Tommy had a hard time believing that Robert Queen was such a bad guy. But why would Ollie feel that he had to make things right?

Oliver seemed to understand Tommy's internal debate.

"He asked me to…" He softly said.

"What?" Tommy scrunched his eyebrows together.

"You're wondering why I'm correcting my dad's mistakes. Because he asked me to." Oliver put simply.

Tommy shook his head and let that sink in. "Why would he ask that of you? I mean, if he really was a…" Tommy tried to think of the right word for Mr. Queen. "Bad guy?" He ventured. "Why would he put such a burden on you?"

"My dad did a lot of things that were wrong, but he was regretful of them. He was going to fix them, but he didn't get the chance."

Tommy nodded. It made sense. "Because the boat went down in the storm…"

Oliver thought it best not to reveal the real reason the _Queen's Gambit_ went down. There would be a time and place to tell him later. Right now, Tommy needed to understand Oliver's reasons for being the vigilante.

"So…." Tommy wasn't sure what to say next. "Obviously you made it to the island."

Ollie nodded.

Tommy waited for him to elaborate. "Well?"

Oliver looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Well, what?"

"What happened next?"

"I buried my dad."

"Oh."

A full minute of silence filled the room.

Oliver, for once, broke the stillness. "Then I met Yao Fei."

Tommy involuntarily shivered. Whoever Yao Fei was, Tommy had a feeling he wouldn't like him.

"Who is Yao Fei?"

"Was. Who was Yao Fei." Oliver corrected.

Tommy got the picture. "He died?"

Ollie nodded. "He was my friend. He taught me to survive."

"So, you weren't alone on the island. That's good."

Oliver snorted.

"What?"

Ollie chuckled mirthlessly and shook his head. "It would have been a whole lot easier if I had been alone." He cocked his head. "'Course, I would've pathetically died on the first day."

Tommy smiled. "Yeah, you weren't exactly Bear Grylls."

Oliver smiled back at Tommy. "I could totally take Bear Grylls now."

Tommy's smile remained in place but he wasn't quite sure how to respond to that comment. Tommy knew that Oliver most definitely went through an ordeal on the island but he couldn't quite see Ollie as a rugged outdoorsman type of guy that could survive on roots and berries.

Oliver continued, shaking Tommy out of his thoughts. "I had to learn a lot, Tommy. Surviving is hard, especially on a seemingly deserted island."

"So, how'd you meet this Yao Fei?"

Oliver smile fondly. "He shot me with an arrow."

Seconds ticked by. The only noise was the bustle outside Oliver's hospital room. Finally Tommy's mouth caught up with his brain.

"WHAT!"

Oliver couldn't help but laugh. That seemed to fuel Tommy's outrage more.

"How can you laugh at that! How could you befriend a guy who shoots you with an arrow!"

Oliver put up a hand in as a placating gesture. "Hang on, just give me a chance to explain."

Tommy closed his mouth but it was formed into a gargoyle-like scowl. "Fine." He huffed.

"Yao Fei thought I was…." Oliver paused, not wanting to reveal too much. He wasn't quite ready to reveal all that transpired on the island. "He thought I was an enemy. So, he shot me with an arrow."

Tommy took a breath, ready to bad-mouth this Yao Fei dude again, but Oliver quickly continued, cutting him off.

"It wasn't a bad wound or anything…" Oliver hoped this would appease Tommy a little. Of course, at the time, Oliver thought he was going to die. But now, Oliver could handle an arrow wound like that any day.

"He realized that I wasn't his enemy and took care of me." Oliver continued, but couldn't help but mumble under his breath, adding: "If you could call it that."

"So, 'Arrow-Guy'- not bad?" Tommy asked.

"No, he became my friend." Oliver said. "Like I said, he taught me how to survive."

"You mean, like, which berries you can eat and the ones that will turn your face into a balloon?" Tommy sarcastically asked.

A smile crept over Ollie's face. "Something like that." He quietly said.

Tommy realized that there was more to the story. "So…. Where'd you learn all the archery and stuff? Was that Yao Fei's teachings too?"

"Some. There were others."

"Others?" Tommy again scrunched his eyebrows. "Just how many people were on the island?"

"Lots, actually." Oliver replied.

"Like, how many we talking here?"

Oliver raised an eyebrow at Tommy. "A small army."

Tommy gaped at his friend. "There was an army on this island?"

"Not exactly." Oliver dragged out his answer, not sure if he wanted to get into this part of his tale.

"Okay," Tommy stated matter-of-factly. "Let's start at the beginning … You got to the island, met this Yao Fei guy, and learned how to kick butt from an army that's 'not exactly' an army." Tommy confusedly paused. "Am I missing something here?"

Oliver sighed. "The island is called Lian Yu. It was used as a prison."

Tommy was quiet. "What does it mean?"

Oliver looked at Tommy confusedly. "What?"

"The name of the island. What's it mean?"

"Oh." Oliver understood now. "'Purgatory.'"

"Makes sense." Tommy murmured.

"Over time, the 'small army' had taken the island over and were using it for criminal activities. Anyone they found that refused to help them…" Oliver shook his head.

Tommy let out a breath his hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Wait, you're telling me that you helped a bunch of criminals?"

Oliver snorted. "I wasn't that shallow, Tommy."

"Sorry." He apologized.

"We had to be careful." Ollie thought back to his first days on Lian Yu. "Yao Fei worked hard to keep us both safe. Once he taught me a few things, he began to show me the island."

"What 'things' did he teach you?" asked Tommy.

Oliver shifted in his bed, trying to get comfortable. "Like I said, he taught me how to survive."

Tommy looked at his shoes. He knew Ollie had skirted around the question. "Ollie…" He began. "I know you had to learn how to survive. What I'm asking if what you had to do to accomplish that."

Oliver inhaled a deep breath and licked his lips. "Tommy, are you sure you want to know? The things I did…" He shook his head. "You won't like it."

"There are a lot of things I don't like about this whole thing." Tommy quipped, spreading his arms. "But, Oliver, I need to understand. Otherwise, I don't think I can stick around."

Oliver sharply lifted his head at his friend. "You'd leave Starling City?" He tried not to sound desperate.

"No, Ollie." He took a breath. "I meant the nightclub, your secret, this whole thing." He gestured to Oliver. "I wouldn't betray you, but I don't think I can handle this without knowing what you had to do."

Oliver nodded, understanding where his friend was coming from and relieved that Tommy wouldn't completely cut him out. "Why is knowing what happened so important to you?"

"Because understanding what happened will help me understand you."

Tommy's answer effectively stopped all conversation for the next minute or two. Tommy tried to clarify.

"Oliver, you've changed. You are not the same person I once knew. I need to come to terms with who and what you've become."

Ollie was surprised. He and Tommy had always been friends but Tommy had never been so straight forward and open. It told him that Tommy was very serious and Oliver had to answer.

He hung his head and steeled himself to reply to Tommy. "On the island, it was either killed or be killed, Tommy. I watched Yao Fei take many lives just so we could live."

Tommy knew where the conversation was headed. And still he couldn't help but feel an uncomfortable knot forming in his stomach.

"At first, I was horrified." Oliver continued. "I wanted nothing to do with Yao Fei. But I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him."

Tommy swallowed and nodded. "Sounds like you own him one." He tried to lighten the mood and failed miserably.

Oliver pursed him lips. "I own him my life, Tommy."

Tommy again nodded and decided not to attempt humor in this dark mood.

"Eventually, I had to learn how to take care of myself." Oliver said. "Yao Fei brought me a bird. I knew what he wanted me to do, but I couldn't do it." He shook his head.

Tommy was relieved that Oliver's transformation didn't happen overnight. It gave him hope that Oliver actually had remorse over taking lives.

"So, what did you do?"

"I nearly starved myself." Oliver smirked. "But the need to survive overpowered my fear."

Oliver took a breath. "That was the first time I killed."

Tommy heaved a sigh. "Oliver…." He started.

"No Tommy, let me finish." Oliver interrupted. "I need to get through this as much as you need to hear it."

Tommy nodded. "Okay."

"Yao Fei attempted to teach me to defend myself, but I was horrible at it."

Tommy couldn't help but smile. That was the Oliver he was familiar with.

"Eventually, I had to take matters into my own hands." Oliver decided to leave out his capture and torture at the hands of Billy Wintergreen. "Yao Fei was captured by the mercenaries, and I had no choice but to run."

Tommy was intrigued by the way Oliver seemed to regret the 'running' part. Oliver had always been loyal. Tommy could only imagine how much Ollie had relied on this Yao Fei. Leaving him to these mercenaries must have been difficult.

"Oliver, it sounds like that was the only choice you had." He tried to console his friend.

"I know." Oliver quietly said. "But I wish I could have done something more."

Oliver took a deep breath and let it out. Both men were silent.

"Oliver," Tommy started. "We can take a break if you want."

Olive slowly nodded. "Actually that would be nice." He said sleepily.

Tommy finally noticed the dark circles around Ollie's eyes. He got up and stretched his legs. "You need anything?"

Oliver nodded. "Something to drink?"

"Okay. I'll be back in a minute." Tommy left the room and peeked out the hall. He glanced at his watch. It was late. He'd have to go looking for a nurse to get Ollie something to drink. He walked down the hall and turned the corner. Luckily there was a nurse a few doors down.

"Excuse me," He called to the young woman. She turned towards him.

"Yes? Can I help you?" She politely asked.

"My friend would like something to drink."

She smiled sweetly. "Of course. I'll be right back."

As she walked away, Tommy began to feel both the physical and mental strain of the day. He leaned against the wall and sighed. He must have started dozing because the next thing he knew was the nurse gently shaking him.

"Sir? Here's some juice for your friend."

He blinked owlishly. "Oh, thanks."

She smiled." You are welcome. Also, I think you probably better sit down before you fall down. You look like you need a week of sleep."

He smiled back at her. "Thanks." He took the cup of juice from her and headed back to Oliver's room.

He quietly pushed open the door and smiled at the sight that greeted him. Oliver was gently snoring. Tommy placed the juice at the bedside table and sat back down. He chuckled at his sleeping friend.

"Oliver, you are a liar and a strange vigilante. But I'll always be on your side, no matter what. You are my friend, and friends stick together."

Tommy relaxed into his chair and settled in for a long night. He just pledged to be by Oliver's side and that where he was going to stay.


End file.
